Helena Ackerson: WOCSD School Committee

Education: Wells High School; bachelor's degree in political science, USM; master's degree in public policy and management, Muskie School of Public Service.

Education: Wells High School; bachelor's degree in political science, USM; master's degree in public policy and management, Muskie School of Public Service.

Family: Married to Tom, a senior systems engineer at Long Term Care Partners; son is a student at Wells Elementary School.

Experience: Project manager for InterMed in Portland; board member for the York County Shelter Programs; previous staffer to Sen. Susan Collins.

Biggest issue facing the school district: I believe that the biggest issue facing our school district is the need to strengthen the collaborative environment between the school committee, educators, and residents. I will work to increase collaboration by placing my focus on the following:

Open communication: I believe transparency is essential for open communication between the school committee and the rest of the community. The committee should have the trust of its residents, and this relationship should be fostered through continuous open dialogue. It is important that suggestions and opinions of the residents be addressed, and taken into consideration. I pledge to keep open lines of communication with residents, and to build cooperative relationships with the educators.

Balance: As a working parent, responsible for balancing my family's checkbook, I understand the need for prudent financial planning, but we must balance those needs with the needs of our education system. I feel that it is important to allocate taxpayers' funds in a manner that will directly impact students in the most efficient and effective way. I pledge to keep our community's children and as well as its taxpayers in mind when making decisions for our district.

Support educators: Quality educators are the key to the success of students in the community. We need to maintain quality teachers in our district, and ensure that they are not overburdened with too many students or not enough resources in the classroom. If elected, my first initiative will be to establish regular roundtable meetings with educators, so that I can ensure their feedback, both positive and negative, is addressed by the committee.

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